Why Southwest Airlines is Helping a Little Butterfly Take Flight

We already knew that Southwest Airlines had a thing for flying animals around the country because, after all, they were the ones doing their best to create a modern day pegasus. Now that the pony is safely back on the ground the carrier is turning their attention to other animals, but this time the critter in question is a little bit smaller.

Butterflies—as their name implies—usually don’t have a problem taking to the skies, but unfortunately one monarch butterfly kind of missed the message about needing to head south for the winter. Thankfully that’s no longer a problem, as Southwest is coming to the rescue to lend its wings to the little bugger.

The upstate New York “Butterfly Lady” had a little bit of a problem with this monarch butterfly, as it was kind of late bloomer. By the time it did the whole metamorphosis thing its friends had already flown the coop and it was too chilly for the butterfly to make the migration south all by itself. A few phone calls and it was Southwest Airlines to the rescue, as they agreed to fly the butterfly—and the “Butterfly Lady” from Albany to San Antonio to unite the insect with some new friends down at a botanical garden.

Thankfully the US Department of Agriculture was able to expedite the necessary permits and paperwork needed to get the butterfly across state lines, as apparently you just can’t load up certain bugs and head out on a road trip. Today’s the big day, as the butterfly is now ready to make the trip. It’ll be in quite the apparatus to keep it cool and comfortable, and we can only hope that this flight of the butterfly is super smooth.